In 1966, Rosetta McKinley married James L. Henderson, an architect based out of Washington, D.C. whom she had met while tutoring children at a Wilmington community center where James also tutored.
They had two children together: Wayne, born in 1967, and Byron, born in 1973.
Henderson continued her work at DuPont during her pregnancies, and after the birth of each child, she was eligible for up to six weeks of paid leave under DuPont’s Disability Wage Plan. This policy included the category “disability due to pregnancy” and had not been updated since 1937. While maternity leave under this plan appears to have been standard for DuPont employees with children, experiences varied based on race, position, income, and location.
Henderson had fifteen siblings. Several of her brothers and sisters went on to successful careers. Her siblings' professions included an airline pilot, surgeon, butcher, and business owner. Her sister Edith was one of Michigan's first African American bail bondswomen. Edith married Ted Rasberry, a well-known Negro League player and team owner in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
In the following clips, Henderson describes her experience as a working mother and scientist. She also describes meeting her husband and her husband’s affiliation with Calvin Hamilton, Wilmington’s first registered African American architect.
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